North County in line for pair of wet storms

NORTH COUNTY —— North County will get a heavy dose this weekend
of two Pacific storms that are moving down the state and will
likely bring rain Monday for the famed Rose Parade, National
Weather Service forecaster Brad Doyle said.

"Yes, it will rain on their parade," Doyle said with a chuckle.
"There's a possibility of some heavy rains in the Pasadena
area."

Karyn Eaves, the parade's director of public relations, said
Friday, "We're all hopeful it won't. We're going to wait until the
bitter end."

If it does rain, it will be the first time since 1955, Eaves
said. It has rained only nine times in the parade's history.

"The parade goes on, rain or shine, always has," Eaves said.

The first of the two storms hit Friday afternoon in San
Francisco and caused flight delays, according to The Associated
Press. In the Bay Area, the storms are predicted to bring up to 6
inches of rain to areas already saturated from earlier storms, said
Rick Canepa, a forecaster based in Monterey. Flood advisories were
in effect in Northern California.

Northern San Diego County will get the heavier rains, but far
less than Northern California, said Doyle, who is based in Rancho
Bernardo.

The first storm is expected to hit North County late this
afternoon and will likely ring in the new year with revelers. The
rain is expected to continue until late Saturday or early Sunday,
Doyle said. The first storm is expected to be milder than the
second and is predicted to bring between 0.25 to 0.5 inches of
rainfall west of the foothills and 0.5 inch to 1 inch of rain in
the foothills and mountains, Doyle said.

The second storm will be right behind the first, with rain
predicted to fall Sunday evening through Monday, he said. No
official prediction is available on the amount of rainfall the
second storm will bring, but it should be about double the first
storm, he said.

The storms will bring winds of about 20 to 30 mph and
temperatures will be cooler, but that will be secondary to the
rain, Doyle said. Temperatures on Monday are expected to be in the
low to mid-60s.

The rest of the week should be dry, Doyle said.

North County will also get some big surf this weekend, though
not as large as last week's. A 7-feet above the mean sea-level tide
—— the highest of the year —— will arrive Sunday. High tides in
North County are usually between 3 to 4 feet.

Only experienced surfers, who are also strong swimmers, are
advised to attempt the waves this weekend, said Oceanside lifeguard
Sgt. Blake Faumuina.

No flooding advisories are in effect, but if necessary, one may
be issued Sunday or Monday, Doyle said.

Some local officials may be concerned about the second storm
flooding low-lying areas and burn areas, Doyle said. Free sandbags
are available at fire stations in Julian, Ramona, and Valley
Center, as well as East County fire stations. On the coast, some
homeowners were sandbagging their homes in preparation of this
weekend's high tides and rain.

The San Diego Department of Public Works activated its Storm and
Road Closure web site in anticipation of the storms at
www.sdcdpw.org. The site includes a weather outlook for the region,
road closures, sandbag locations, and erosion control
information.